Alleged Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz, who is accused of murdering 17 people at a Parkland high school on Wednesday, appeared in court on Monday for a procedural hearing.

Cruz, in his first public appearance since he was held without bond on charges of premeditated murder, sat with his head bowed during the brief hearing before Judge Elizabeth Scherer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

During the hearing, Scherer agreed to leave a defence motion filed last week sealed from public view.

Lead defence lawyer Melisa McNeill had previously argued in vain against requiring Cruz to be in court Monday afternoon, saying his presence would just be “an opportunity for the media to have a circus with him.”

But prosecutors wanted him in court, saying they didn’t know what was in the motion so they could not waive the defendant’s presence. Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer sided with them.